"Where's Vanessa? What's she doing now?"
"She escaped recently," Silas growled. "We'll find her. And what's left of her family."
After a moment, his tone softened. The sadness in his eyes suffocating.
"When I thought you were dead... the whole world went dark. All my ambition, all my plans—worthless. I even thought about going to hell to find you. But Olei was small. I couldn't leave him."
He reached into his collar and pulled out a necklace. A teardrop-shaped pendant, etched with intricate patterns and Russian characters.
"This used to hold you." Voice hoarse. "Vanessa sent me your ashes. I put them in the pendant. Carved your Russian name on it."
I stared at the necklace. Couldn't name what I felt.
"For six years, it never left my chest." His fingers traced it. "It kept me alive through every night I wanted to die."
He looked at me. Eyes red. "Anthea, I know I'm a bastard. But I... I missed you every second of these six years. Never stopped. I was raised to treat everything as a tool. Value, not feelings. But I was wrong. I didn't know until I lost you. I love you."
I watched this once-untouchable Pakhan confess, repent, lay himself bare before me. My resolve wavered. But I couldn't. Absolutely couldn't.
"I replanted the manor garden with dahlias. They're beautiful now." Hope in his eyes. "Give me a chance to start over, Anthea. This time, I'll love you the right way."
My heart pounded. His words moved me. I couldn't deny what I felt for him. These past days together, I'd seen the change. More respectful. Less domineering. A different Silas.
But I was afraid. Afraid of getting hurt again. Afraid of believing him, only to find myself in another lie.
"I..." My voice scraped out. "I can't."
His gaze darkened.
"At least, not now," I added. "I need time. What you did before... it hurt. I can't pretend it didn't happen. But now, you can throw that damn necklace away. I'm back."
He froze. Looked down at the pendant. Then he unclasped it. In the sunlight, that frozen tear looked ready to melt. His arm swung. The necklace arced through the air and landed in the grass.
We pulled ourselves together, called Olei back, and moved to the next attraction. The giant Ferris wheel glowed in the sunset, warm and full of love. We climbed into a car. It rose slowly.
Olei pressed against the glass, watching the shrinking park and the expanding horizon.
"Wow, so high!" He pointed. "Mom, Dad, look! The whole sky is red!"
We followed his finger. Gold-red clouds hung in the sky like molten metal, quiet and brilliant. The land below was bathed in the same golden red. Dreamlike. Mysterious.
"Beautiful." I stared, whispered.
The wheel climbed. Olei's excitement faded. He yawned, leaned against me, eyelids heavy. Today had worn him out.
"Sleep, Olei." I ran my fingers through his soft hair.
He curled into me, asleep in seconds. Little body rising and falling. Smile still on his face. The car went quiet. I felt Silas's gaze on me. Hot. Focused.
I looked up. Met his eyes.
His face moved closer. I should pull away. Push him back. Tell him we were done.
But I didn't. I closed my eyes. His lips covered mine. Familiar heat. Familiar scent. A gentle kiss, careful, testing. His tongue traced my lips, licked every inch. I kissed back, opened my mouth, let his tongue in, tangling with mine.
I told myself I was doing this because he was pitiful. He wore my "ashes" around his neck. Cried over my picture in the dark. Raised our child alone.
But my heart beat too fast.
